Shepherdstown, WV--Shepherd University's Department of Music will host its annual vocal competition on Saturday, January 19, 2013, in the Frank Center. The competition is open to high school juniors and seniors. The application deadline for the competition is Friday, December 28.

The daylong event will consist of preliminary auditions, a selection of finalists, an honors recital presented by Shepherd students, and an awards ceremony including performances by the chosen prize winners. The honors recital and awards ceremony are free and open to the public.

The competition offers a $1,000 for first place, as well as other cash prizes for second and third places, which will include the $300 Jane Grissinger Memorial Award prize from Shepherd musician and faculty member Anne Munro.

The vocal competition is an annual event organized by the voice department at Shepherd in an effort to provide young singers the opportunity to perform and receive feedback from professional musicians. This is an opportunity for young artists to become familiar with Shepherd's music program and what it has to offer.

Former winners of the competition have performed with the New York City Opera, starred on Broadway and in national touring companies, and won awards including the Marian Anderson Prize and the Rosa Ponselle Young Singers Prize.

For more information on the competition, contact Dr. Robert Tudor, director of vocal studies and chair of the department of music at Shepherd, at rtudor@shepherd.edu or 304-876-5237.